Owen Farrell has been banned following his citing for foul play with Saracens - but he won't miss the start of the upcoming Guinness Nations with England, provided he successfully completes the World Rugby coaching intervention program, which would scratch the final match of his four-game suspension.

There were 74:22 minutes gone on the Gallagher Premiership clock last Friday when the right shoulder of recent England skipper Farrell collided with the head of the ball-carrying Jack Clement on the Gloucester 10-meter line.

After play eventually halted six phases later, with the clock now on 76:18, referee Karl Dickson refused to review the footage with his TMO, and it led to Farrell getting cited on Monday by the RFU and asked to attend an independent disciplinary hearing that began on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.

The verdict was delivered after that hearing, and the outcome was a four-game ban that can be reduced to three games, provided Farrell completes tackle school. 

👨‍⚖️ | 𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗖𝗜𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗥𝗬 𝗢𝗨𝗧𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗘.@owen_faz has received a four match ban after an incident against Gloucester.

This will be reduced to a three week ban if the player completes the World Rugby Coaching Intervention Programme.#YourSaracens💫

— Saracens Rugby Club (@Saracens) January 11, 2023

An RFU statement read: "The case of Owen Farrell, Saracens, was heard last night by an independent disciplinary panel chaired by Philip Evans with Becky Essex and Mitch Read.

"Farrell was cited following the game against Gloucester Rugby on Friday, Jan. 6, for dangerous tackling, contrary to World Rugby law 9.13.

"Farrell accepted foul play but challenged that it met the red card threshold. However, the panel upheld the charge, and Farrell received a four-match ban. This will be reduced to a three-week ban, if the player completes the World Rugby coaching intervention program.

"Farrell will miss the following games: Jan. 14 vs Lyon, Jan. 22 vs Edinburgh, Jan. 28 vs Bristol and Feb. 19 vs Leicester Tigers."

The England matches versus Scotland on Feb. 4 and Italy on Feb. 12 weren't included in this projected ban timetable, as the test squad won't be announced until next Monday by Steve Borthwick, hence the inclusion, instead of the mid-February Saracens match versus Leicester, in the suspension schedule.

However, if Farrell successfully completes tackle school, his ban will be completed by late January, freeing him to play for England at the start of February, if selected.

In his evidence at the hearing, Farrell told the panel he had played approximately 340 professional games, and in regard to the tackle at Gloucester, he acknowledged it was his responsibility to tackle safely.

"He said he was expecting his opponent to run over him, so he dropped his height to where he felt the tackle would be properly executed. He hinged both at the hips and at the knees. He said in hindsight, he would have liked to have been a couple of inches lower.

"He said a number of times that he felt he had made primary contact through the chest area and that he had made a fair tackle. He said he believes all his force went through the chest area. He said he thought it would have felt different had he put the force through the chin.

"It was only when he got on the team bus to come home that he watched the clips and realized contact was made with the chin. When he realized he contacted his opponent to apologize. He denied the suggestion made by the RFU that he had caused the chin to be pinned backwards by his contact.

"The player helpfully talked the panel through the footage, and as he did, he explained why he felt the force went through the chest area, rather than the chin. He felt the contact with the chin was not significant. It was described as fleeting. He said his opponent continued to contest the ball following the tackle and then continued to play in the rest of the game."

The clock in the 🔴 and 4️⃣0️⃣ metres out.

Step forward, @owen_faz 😎#YourSaracens💫

— Saracens Rugby Club (@Saracens) January 9, 2023

The judicial committee believed the Farrell offence was in the mid-range of seriousness, and in applying mitigation to the six-week entry point, it concluded: "Given the player's previous offending, he is not eligible to receive the 50% reduction for mitigation, which would otherwise be available to him.

"However, given the player's timely acknowledgment of his offending, and considering his behavior following the incident, during the hearing and leading up to the hearing and sitting alongside other mitigation available to him, the panel does feel able to reduce the sanction by a period of two weeks."

Click here to read the 10-page written judgment from the Owen Farrell disciplinary hearing.